That’s an email from a reader. Been under the weather for a few days and a heavy workload this time of the year where I “pound salt” (hopefully a fair ratio of people get that).
So here is what is coming up:
Finish up the series on the 326 Pontiac engine.
Finish up the last couple entries for the Name That Car Contest (tally for this latest round coming up).
Feature Car – one of the Studebaker’s models.
Update on my 1970 Mustang “make-over”.
And some other stuff.
Thanks for reading.
Tim
Here are a couple of videos I forgot to post up.
The first is my friend Steve Fagan’s 427 vette he just finished restoring. Took 2nd place in his class at one of the largest car shows in the areas.
And here is my Mustang at the same show.
Enjoy.
Tim
by Don Roy on April 26, 2011
It is easy to envy the job of a road test editor for a magazine or web site. After all, when it comes to the world of automotive enthusiasts, you’re pretty much living the dream. Often flown at other’s expense to exotic locations, you’re wined and dined in expensive establishments and given the latest high performance hardware to thrash around in. Other times, you just get really neat stuff to park in your driveway and make your neighbors jealous.
Generally, the only rule is ‘bring it back in one piece’ and given today’s anti-lock braking, electronic stability control, hugely capable tires and other modern developments, it’s pretty hard to break that rule. So, imagine that you are on a quarter-mile track, running some brake tests for which you run up to 70 mph and stand on the brake pedal and mostly let the electronics keep the shiny side up. Say you’ve done this dozens of times on all manner of performance cars, but this time the pedal goes right to the floor just as a metallic ‘snap’ registers in your brain.
Perhaps it is not always such an enviable position to be in because that is just what happened recently to Motor Trend editor, Scott Mortara, while evaluating a Boss 302 Mustang. Fortunately, the experienced tester was able to slow the car by downshifting the manual transmission and get off the track without serious incident. What followed from there, as reported by MT senior editor Angus McKenzie, is both a PR nightmare and a curiously unsatisfying conclusion for all.
An immediate and thorough investigation by Ford, which also involved stopping production temporarily at the Flat Rock, MI, assembly plant, revealed no inherent problem with production cars. The test car, however, appeared to have its brake pedal incorrectly assembled, so that a pivot pin sheared under the extreme load and master cylinder actuation was lost.
No conclusive evidence has been identified as to how this car’s brake pedal got to the state it was in, but once you let these cars out into the hands of others, anything is possible. This is the type of thing that Ford will continue to pursue internally until there is nothing left to investigate. In the meantime, this set of freaky circumstances serves well to remind all of us that bantha poo-doo happens and paying continual attention while driving is highly justified.
Thanks Bill.
This web site claims you CANNOT tell Checker years 1960 to 1982 apart:
http://jalopnik.com/#!266317/checker-marathon
I still wonder what would have happened to Checker if Ed Cole had not died in a plane crash. Ed Cole was a GM Engineer who was ‘the father’ of the Chevy 283. The story goes that Checker was about to go out of business, and Ed Cole had accepted an offer to take the company over. Ed had retired ‘comfortably’ from GM, and wanted to have some fun with Checker. Legend has it that Ed planned to get the GM Impala/Roadmaster RWD chassis, drop in a a Mitusbishi V6 drivetrain from the Diamante, and keep the SAME Checker body panels. His goal was to keep the car in fleet sales with great MPG and long term reliability,
Knowing what I know today about Government regulation for automobiles, I have to think that Ed Cole would have prolonged Checker perhaps another few years, or so. Crash test alone cost about 1 million dollars per car model today.
My THREE cents for the day!
Happy Easter, Bill
Here this one is going to be a tough one.
Jump in the ‘way back’ machine and guess this early turn of the 20th Century car.
Name That Car
Good luck.
Remember you need 5 correct answers to win. If you are reading this on Facebook you need to chase the link and post on the blog.
Thanks for playing.
Tim
The correct answer is 1956 Continental
1956 Continental
Bob Sweeting was the first correct answer.
(No I don’t believe we are related.)
Thanks for Playing Bob.
Next one coming up right up.
Tim
Ok.. Steve Sear won the last round.
This round the rules are the same. You have to be the first to get 5 correct answers.
If you see this on Facebook you have to chase the link and post your answer on the Blog.
You’ll have to provide a mailing address to receive the prize.
So here is the first car in the next round.
This car was once it’s own company.
This particular car is 1950’s era.
Name that Car #1A
Good luck and thanks for playing.
Tim
A while back I did an engine mini series on Chevy’s 283. Since then I found a great site for more information on the 283.
Links – http://wp.me/pKHNM-nu
http://wp.me/pKHNM-nB
http://wp.me/pKHNM-nT
http://chevroletphotosblog.com/?p=23046
Chevy 283 Motor | ChevroletPhotosBlog.com
chevroletphotosblog.com
1965 chevy 283 motor complete runs good 500.00 cash call 205-792-4699. Location: Tuscaloosa. State: Alabama City: Tuscaloosa tuscaloosa.americanlisted.com
Thanks for reading
Tim
Steve Sears got this one correct. – Nice job.
I love these cars.
The Studebaker Golden Hawks are my favorite model in that brand.
This is the 1956 Golden Hawk.
1956 Studebaker Golden Hawk
Current tally is:
Thanks for playing.
Tim
Ok…this one is older than what I’ve been serving up.
Again, this is not one of the top 3. This car was also very prone to rust because of the body structure.
Good luck.
Name That Car #7sup
Thanks for playing.
Tim
